Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Rustenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustenburg: $799 a month against $1,150 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Rustenburg
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Rustenburg Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,150

/mo nomad

Rustenburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Rustenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Durban and in Rustenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,150 per month in Durban vs $799 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Durban $1,150
Rustenburg $799

A couple spends around $1,777 per month in Durban vs $1,318 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Durban $1,777
Rustenburg $1,318

A family of three spends $2,404 per month in Durban vs $1,837 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Durban $2,404
Rustenburg $1,837

Durban costs about 44% more than Rustenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Durban and Rustenburg are more affordable than the global median – Durban 15% lower, Rustenburg 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.84 R 129

$6.11 R 101

28.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.75 R 638

$43.66 R 719

-11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R 96.7

$6.28 R 103

-6.53%

Cappuccino

$2.63 R 43.30

$2.03 R 33.47

29.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 R 17.85

$0.96 R 15.75

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.72

$0.50 R 8.26

78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R 38.99

$1.48 R 24.37

60.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 R 43.10

$2.09 R 34.40

25.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.33

$1.12 R 18.38

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 16.23

$0.99 R 16.36

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.71

$1.77 R 29.20

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.58

$2.70 R 44.53

-13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 R 133

$7.35 R 121

10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 R 83.8

$5.01 R 82.6

1.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 123

$6.44 R 106

16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.78

$1.76 R 29.00

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.36

$1.59 R 26.27

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.42

$1.79 R 29.47

6.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.09

$1.14 R 18.78

43.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.61

$1.33 R 21.96

12.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 R 23.11

$1.09 R 17.89

28.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.33

$1.28 R 21.15

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.84

$0.94 R 15.48

21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.0

$3.12 R 51.5

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 R 78.2

$5.96 R 98.2

-20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.27

$0.58 R 9.55

143.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.45

$0.95 R 15.61

94.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 R 29.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.77 R 359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 R 6.60

$0.82 R 13.48

-51.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.47

$0.88 R 14.42

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 R 124

$14.67 R 242

-48.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.52

$1.43 R 23.55

8.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K R 577.2K

$28.4K R 468.3K

23.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.3K R 515.5K

$27.6K R 455.5K

13.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 R 2,435

$74.9 R 1,233

97.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.20 R 580

$13.66 R 225

157.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.95 R 642

$36.01 R 593

8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.79 R 524

$21.21 R 349

49.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.10 R 150

$6.21 R 102

46.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 R 121

$4.94 R 81.5

48.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$312 R 5,143

$112 R 1,841

179.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,555 R 124.5K

$5,493 R 90.5K

37.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R 905

$43.05 R 709

27.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 R 509

$46.85 R 772

-34.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R 1,648

$109 R 1,798

-8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 R 1,389

$54.7 R 901

54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 R 7,621

$336 R 5,537

37.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,555

$239 R 3,937

66.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 R 13.5K

$717 R 11.8K

14.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 R 13.0K

$520 R 8,559

51.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$878 R 14.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$580 R 9,557

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 R 20.9K

$1,085 R 17.9K

17.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

9.9

18.99%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Durban: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$398 34.6%

Rustenburg

$239 29.9% 39.9% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$222 19.3%

Rustenburg

$125 15.6% 43.9% $97

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$193 16.7%

Rustenburg

$176 22% 8.7% $17

Eating Out

Durban

$137 11.9%

Rustenburg

$110 13.7% 20% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$122 10.6%

Rustenburg

$114 14.3% 6.1% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4%

Rustenburg

$31 3.9% 33% $15

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Rustenburg

$5.2 * 0.7% 84.3% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Durban versus $336 in Rustenburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Durban, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Durban versus $44.00 in Rustenburg. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Durban vs $176 in Rustenburg – so Rustenburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Rustenburg

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

549,575

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durban Rustenburg 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Durban
Rustenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Durban vs Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,726 per month in Durban and $1,199 in Rustenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rustenburg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Durban and $44.00 in Rustenburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rustenburg, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Durban at $1,150. In Rustenburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rustenburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Rustenburg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Durban makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.